Fossil Q Gen 4 smartwatches tease onboard GPS, NFC, swimproofing

Watchmakers at Fossil have a fourth-generation Fossil Q to show this week with a more “tech-packed” touchscreen-laden body than they’ve ever released before. This watch was revealed in two forms: Fossil Q Explorist HR and Fossil Q Venture HR. The Explorist is a bit bigger, while the Venture is a bit smaller, and both roll with Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 processors and Wear OS by Google.

The Fossil Q line of watches for 2018 works with heart-rate tracking connected with whatever health app for Wear OS you can imagine. These watches were also equipped with “swimproof functionality” – which basically means you can take a dunk with your watch on, if you really, really want to. Also inside is NFC connectivity and untethered GPS, for all sorts of mapping.

“Since our entry to the smartwatch market, it has always been our first priority to be nimble and adapt quickly to innovations-both in technology and design,” said Steve Evans, EVP of Fossil. “We know a lot of watch wearers have both a traditional watch and some kind of an activity tracker— by adding significant features in terms of technology, without compromising our design standards, this new generation of smartwatch will provide consumers with one device that fits all of their needs.”

To make sure these watches roll as long as possible, they’ve included what they call “optimized charge time” right out the gate. With this technology, users can apparently charge their watch “within an hour to last all day.”

These watches were both shown to have stainless steel cases and touchscreen digital displays. The Q Venture HR model is 40mm with an 18mm strap while the Q Explorist HR is 45mm with a 22mm strap. Straps and/or bracelets are interchangeable with whatever sort of band you’d like, and both watches come with their own matched band.